Chapter Nine

“What do you mean?” Margaret asked gripping the hand of the wooden chair.

“Eliana messed with black magic. She was able to stop the Prince from dying because of the first Rosa by giving him two more chances. In Return of the two more chances he was turned into a monster worse than Elena had made him. Elena took his looks, Eliana took his humanity. I can not tell you how for that is something you should see for yourself. You being in a dungeon? That was Elena’s doing. Any chance of love he may have, she turns it around.

The second Rosa, it was a girl who came wondering in. The prince himself plucked the rose for her. She was that perfect to him. However no matter how much Eliana tried to get them together so the curse would end, Elena parted them. She made the Prince kill the girl by the alterations to the curse. Curse, alter curse,another curse. It went back and forth.

She took the prince captive and made him hungry. Do you know what happened next? She let the hungry Prince meet the young girl. Just like how she was going to do with you if I had not seen the signs. ”

“You, you are Eliana are you not?” Margaret whispered staring at the lady in front of her as realization hit her.

“Yes Margaret and that’s why you should listen to me. Elena is dangerous. Even after the prince dies she will not be sated. She has already destroyed a lot. Do not let her win. ” Eliana said and seemed to be on the verge of tears.

“But I don’t love him. I don’t feel anything for him now. Not even anger.” Margaret said frowning.

“The alterations. It’s no longer about you loving each other, if he just learns to value love, he won’t die. However if he isn’t loved back in the beast form, he will be stuck like that even if the curse of the Rosa is broken. ” Eliana said getting up.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Margaret said as a thousand questions swarmed in her head.

“For a walk,” The lady answered and Margaret started getting up,”Alone.”

“I have questions!” Elaina shook her head.

“I will answer just one for now. ”

“Where is Toby?” Margaret asked hoping the little kid was alright.

“That little kid stuck in the curse? I made him invisible. The moon, it was making him fade away. If he were invisible light wouldn’t fell on him. Why do you think the castle is always dark? ” Eliana said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I don’t know?” Margaret was confused and had no idea what to make of the lady’s words.

“I haven’t gotten to the effect the curse had on other people. I need a walk. Ugh, do not look at me like that. I am sure you need to let this all set in before you hear more. I have work to do. What do you think Elena is doing now?” Eliana said and Margaret gave an annoyed expression. She was curious however now that she thought of it, Eliana did say that something had happened to the beast. The beast, she still couldn’t get herself to call him Prince.

“I.. I didn’t see Lord Drake in the last few days. I don’t-” Margaret stuttered and understood what Eliana was talking about. Eliana seemed to care for the lord still. He was still her prince and it was time for the damsel to save the Prince in distress. If her story was to be trusted then she has been doing that for more than a century.

Eliana turned and gave her a pointed look,” There is a book. You will find it in your room when you get back in. You may find it interesting. Another thing. This location is under protection. Do not under any circumstances leave the borders of this house. It for your own good. ”

Margaret nodded and in a blink of an eye she was alone and in the room she had woken up in with a red covered book in her hand. Tale of the golden kingdom, it said.

Eliana did not return for a day and Margaret could do nothing but roam around in the small cottage and make herself comfortable.

In the time she had been alone she took it on herself to help around the house. It was mostly because she could not sit idle. It was written on the note left behind ‘Be comfortable’ so she was going to be it. Being in the small house was better than being stuck in the dark, dull and gloomy manor. It was like a breath of fresh air making its way into a room locked away for ages. She was born anew as she forgot about her worries singing and cooking. Cooking helped her relax and she hadn’t cooked for herself in a long time. The Beast- Prince- went berserk when she proposed the idea of helping around to spend time.

Just a while ago she had gone into the garden and was welcomed by a large array of herbs. The cottage was like a little piece of heaven for her. Herbs were one of the things she enjoyed. She had served as a nurse back in the village when her father had been in the troublesome times. It was soon after that she came to know that she has a knack of using herbs. Her tutelage under the old doctor had proven useful on many accounts. Once when her mother had fallen terribly sick Margaret came to her rescue taking herbs from their garden mixed with some from the forest. It was quite convenient as the herbs were rare and had they bought them or gone to another herbalist for the normally treatment, it would have cost them more than they could earn that month.

That day as Margaret relaxed and remembered how she was a month ago, the beast was in agony.

Same day

Again. She had done it again.

Prince Adam paced around the small confines of the room he was captured in knowing fully well what was going on. She was at it again, his tormentor. She surely wanted the girl he had in his manor dead. He didn’t know what that fragile girl has done to annoy the witch that she had taken such a measure. He knew if he remained another two days in this captivity of depravity, he would kill whoever he saw first. His hunger would get the best of him. It was all the part of that moronic curse. It was pitiful how he couldn’t even remember how to act like a normal human being. He had forgoten how to act the part of him that was curseless long ago. His memory was distorted and he was but trapped in a timed prison of torment that did not see day or night.

He often imagined things during this time. Things like how it would have been if he did turn human. He wondered how he would look. He vaguely remember how anyone in his past looked. His mother, he father, they were all distant memories. It was useless to even think about it all now. In two days time he would have lost his mind to hunger and kill the only chance of freedom. He would live. Live till the petals fall knowing that there was no chance to escape. He had already accepted that but then time and time again a girl appears. A little beacon of hope that he was absolutely sure to keep away from himself this time. But no matter how he tried he had a will to live. He did not want to die a demon. The more he tried to distance himself the more he craved human contact. Every time he talked to that human girl something would happen. It resulted in him losing his calm and the beastly aura made her go blank. He can’t even keep his emotion in check.

Emotions. Pain, anger and frustration, are there more? Love, hope and peace, they were long foreign to him. The moment he had been taken into this cell he knew that he wouldn’t be the same again. He would kill the moment he steps out hungry. Then he would be back in his castle. He would spend his days waiting in the dark. Waiting for a painful death was all he could do. His only regret was that years ago he could not tell someone how much he adored and appreciated her.

75 years ago

It was a little after the sun had gone down. Birds had found shelter and main work for the day was done. Midst of all this, a girl was out in the woods, lost. Bruised badly and on the verge of crying and giving up, she thought that it was purely good luck that had brought her to the doors of the Wellington Manor hidden in the woods. The girl didn’t know that it was purely bad luck. She didn’t know that soon she would be wishing she was out dead in the woods.The girl knocked on the gate but heard no answer from inside. The door was hard to open or maybe locked from outside, the girl didn’t know. All she knew was that she needed shelter and some rest. With that in her mind she wondered. Unable to walk much and stumbling often, the girl once again was lost, this time inside the manor’s boundary. This time she fell on a rose bush where she was lead subconsciously.

*

Margaret was enjoying the setting sun not knowing what was to come. Light peaked in through the large window as she sat cross legged on the chair reading the book left behind.

The tales of the Golden Kingdom, Kingdom of Fire and snow.

1- Geography

Alera, the kingdom of fire and snow was named thus by the first ruler of the land King James the first. The Kingdom spreads across a vast land with the north having volcanoes and the south having snow clad hills. The planes in the middle of the two lands has the capital of Alera, Cleus. The rumour has it that the capital was named after King James younger cousin brother. The fact has not been confirmed but could be true.

To the East of the kingdom resides another kingdom, Amara. Amara has a pleasant climate through out the year. It was founded by King James’s cousin, King Atheus and has good relations with Alera. Amara, unlike Alera has also been ruled by a queen from time to time. The capital of Amara was named Ale after Alera as it is said that King Athens deeply admired his older cousin King James. The fact has not been confirmed but could be true.

To the West of Alera there are two kingdoms separated from the continent on which Alera resides. The Two kingdoms have lands large enough for them to be called countries even after being Island Kingdoms. Both the countries have trade routes with Alera however they are hostile with each other and continue to be at war with each other. The founders of the countries, Sena and Ralaria are unknown till date. All the data about the first king were destroyed. It is rumoured that the current line ruling the kingdoms are usurpers. Another rumour states that the royal families of both the share blood. The truth is not known as both Sena and Raleria keep quite about the topic.

To the Far East lies a troublesome country named Vinair. The kingdom is quite hostile and quite resourceful. It is the second largest kingdom with the most amount of of islands under its name. It also has the Most power over the Gulf of trios even though the gulf is a neutral territory. The Alerian land near the gulf has high mountains making the gulf a less used waters.

On one of his visits, King Atheus the Second, the great grandson of King Athens said in the praise of the kingdom, “The sun on the clear snow and the bright orange red lava under the sun, a kingdom as golden as its people. A kingdom to be inspired from.” Since then Alera has also been referred to as the golden kingdom.

The north side of the kingdom is referred to as the kingdom’s fire and the south is referred to as the kingdoms snow. Both the places have the temperature like their name and are scarcely inhabited. Many islands around the Kingdom’s fire are inhabited for agriculture whereas many islands around the Kingdom’s snow are inhabited for fishing. Both the yields come to the center and nearby areas for sale amongst the highest concentration of People.

Apart from Cleus, cities like August, Thane and Etone are highly populated. August is a cheerful city near Amara with a lovely climate like Amara’s. Thane is the busiest port city between Sena and Rayleria and Etone is the city of Scholars. Other few popular cities include Kane, dros, Segaria, and James.

2- “Margaret? Would you please lock all the windows. I would be home in a few minutes.” A voice brought Margaret out of the book. She could still see images of each place in her head. She searched for the source of her disturbance but found none. Still seeing as how the voice has resembled Eliana’s she decided to obey. Little did she know what Eliana had up her sleeves.